HLA and MICA associations with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a very aggressive tumour arising from the epithelial lining of the upper aerodigestive tract. The precise mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of HNSCC have not been elucidated. Previous studies observed aberrant HLA expression patterns on HNSCC tumour cells and this study focused on the allelic polymorphism of HLA genes and the MHC class I chain related gene A (MICA) and HNSCC.